• the analysis of the many different issues faced by institutions and players in the context of public policy;
• he acquisition of methods and skills to deliver effectiveness and efficiency in public sector administration;
• the modernisation and continuous assessment of change in public organizations.

2. In terms of professional training, this Master prepares students to take up various roles in the administration and management of public organizations, both at regional and local level as well as in bodies working in close collaboration with the public sector (e.g. political parties, trades unions and professional organizations). In addition, although the programme is not primarily aimed at the Belgian public sector, it nevertheless offers support to students wishing to prepare for certain  entry examinations held by public institutions such as the government recruitment office (SELOR).

3. Finally, this Master gives students the opportunity to develop their individual research skills. They will acquire a rigorous framework for posing questions in a field of their choice (see the options), either in the context of the work placement and the dissertation (professional focus) or the dissertation project which then leads on to a doctorate (research focus).

Students are required to follow all the core subjects totaling 70 credits and must choose one of two focuses (research or professional), each of which is worth 30 credits. To complete the programme and reach the necessary total of 120 credits, there is a choice of options based on regional axes (for example Belgium, Europe and Asia) or language  courses.

The first year of the Master concentrates on in-depth study of the management of public organizations and public policy (30 credits); it also includes three advanced courses related to the other areas of political science (comparative politics, international relations, European studies for 15 credits) and optional subjects (15 credits).
During the second year, students pursue their focus (30 credits), produce a dissertation (25 credits) and choose a further 5 credits.

The research focus is designed to improve research skills in public administration. The teaching, which is shared with the 120 credit Master in political science, is designed to improve students’ methodology, help them learn how to work in a research team and to show them how to start preparing for their doctorate.

The research focus in policy and administration  prepares the student for a professional career. Through a series of cross-disciplinary courses which bring together comparative politics, the analysis of public policy and related disciplines (law, communication, sociology, ethics), students develop practical skills in the field of public policy, in the widest possible sense. This focus also includes a period of compulsory work placement supervised by a lecturer from the Department. The work placement is associated with the student’s dissertation.

The Erasmus and, to a lesser extent, the Mercator schemes provide finance for study visits abroad for a semester.

In the context of the “‘Louvain Academy”, UCL and FUCAM (Facultés Universitaires Catholiques de Mons à Mons – Catholic University Faculties of Mons in Mons) offer jointly Masters’ programmes (120 credits) in Political Science, either as a general subject or with the emphasis on international relations or public administration. Students may choose to study the focus at a partner institution and gain a degree issued jointly by the two institutions. These exchanges are made possible by specially coordinated courses and timetables.

Students must have gained an undergraduate degree including the following credits :

-          35 credits in political sciences, including the following four subjects or their equivalents: POLS 1312 Comparative Politics (5 credits), POLS 1317A  Geopolitics and the International System (first part, 5 credits), POLS 1223 Organization Theory and Public Policy (6 credits), POLS 1323 European Institutions and Policies (4 credits)

-          10 credits in the methodology of social sciences

-          6 credits in English. Students are required to have reached intermediate level.

Courses which have not already been taken may be added to the Master study programme, up to a total of 15 credits. It is up to the  academic coordinator (lexique) to agree the equivalences between different subjects. 

If the total of prerequisite subjects is more than 15 credits, entry to the Master programme is conditional on the successful completion of a preparatory year and gaining a maximum of 60 credits.

These should include:

-          35 credits for political science courses, including the following four (or equivalent) : POLS 1312 Comparative Politics (5 credits), POLS 1317A Geopolitics and the International System (first part) (5 credits), POLS 1223 Theory of Organizations and Public Policy (6 credits), POLS 1323 European Institutions and Policies (4 credits)

-          10 credits for courses on the methodology of social sciences

-          6 credits for English language courses. Students must have reached intermediate level.

The interdisciplinary nature of the programme is reflected both in the core subjects and in the area studies.
Wide variety of teaching strategies (including e-learning)

-          most of the teaching staff have been trained  to use of modern multi-media techniques and innovations introduced at the University such as i-Campus. Each year the overall teaching framework is strictly coordinated

-          the objective of the seminars is to give students the methodological framework they will need for their individual projects, whether research or professionally based.  

Wide variety of learning situations :

-          possibility of a work placement (professional and research focuses)

-          group work (core subjects as well as professional and research focuses)

-          possibility of joining a research team (research focus)

- for the Chair of Political, Administrative and International Reform lectures, the Department of Political and Social Science invites two or three internationally renowned researchers in political science to address students at UCL. The lectures are either in French or English. 

- the subjects available as area studies also encourage students to adopt a more international outlook
 - study visits abroad lasting a semester are possible via exchange programmes such as Erasmus.